Project description:Aspergillus fumigatus is an important human pathogen and a leading fungal killer. This study aimed to determine the tRNA fragment and tRNA half repertoire of A. fumigatus in wild-type conidia and mycelium grown for 24 or 48 hours in liquid culture.
Project description:Proteomic comparison of the wild-type strain cultured in MM (control) and Mice Lung (treatment); Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between mutants and wild-type strain.
Project description:CRZ is a C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor activated by calcineurin, a protein phosphatase activated by calcium-calmodulin, in different stress conditions related with calcium cell accumulation. CRZ binds to a specific element on the promoter region of genes called CDRE (calcineurin-dependent response element) shown to be sufficient for calcium- and calcineurin-dependent gene expression. In order to investigate which pathways are involved under calcium stress conditions, we determined the transcriptional profile of A. fumigatus delta crzA mutant strain upon a time course 200 mM calcium chloride treatment. Conidia from the mutant and wild type strains were incubated at 37°C in complete medium for 16 hours and were challenged with 200 mM calcium chloride for 10 and 30 minutes. At each time point, the mycelia were harvested by centrifugation and used for competitive microarray hybridizations. We were able to observe a decreased mRNA expression of genes encoding inorganic ion transport proteins and lipid transport. In contrast, increased mRNA expression was observed for several genes involved in transcription, energy production and conversion, cell cycle control, cell division, chromosome partitioning, amino acid, lipid and carbohydrate transport and metabolism, nucleotide transport, cell wall and membrane biogenesis, posttranslation modifications, protein turnover, chaperones, inorganic ion transport, signal transduction mechanisms, intracellular trafficking, secretion and vesicular transport. Keywords: gene expression array-based (log2 ratio)
Project description:CRZ is a C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor activated by calcineurin, a protein phosphatase activated by calcium-calmodulin, in different stress conditions related with calcium cell accumulation. CRZ binds to a specific element on the promoter region of genes called CDRE (calcineurin-dependent response element) shown to be sufficient for calcium- and calcineurin-dependent gene expression. In order to investigate which pathways are involved under calcium stress conditions, we determined the transcriptional profile of A. fumigatus delta crzA mutant strain upon a time course 200 mM calcium chloride treatment. Conidia from the mutant and wild type strains were incubated at 37°C in complete medium for 16 hours and were challenged with 200 mM calcium chloride for 10 and 30 minutes. At each time point, the mycelia were harvested by centrifugation and used for competitive microarray hybridizations. We were able to observe a decreased mRNA expression of genes encoding inorganic ion transport proteins and lipid transport. In contrast, increased mRNA expression was observed for several genes involved in transcription, energy production and conversion, cell cycle control, cell division, chromosome partitioning, amino acid, lipid and carbohydrate transport and metabolism, nucleotide transport, cell wall and membrane biogenesis, posttranslation modifications, protein turnover, chaperones, inorganic ion transport, signal transduction mechanisms, intracellular trafficking, secretion and vesicular transport. Keywords: gene expression array-based (log2 ratio) For the time course microarray experiments, 5.0 x 108 conidia of A. fumigatus wild type [CEA17 delta akuB(KU80)] and delta crzA strains were inoculated in 300 ml of pre-warmed liquid cultures (YG) in 500-mL erlenmeyer flasks and allowed to grow for 16 hours in a reciprocal shaker (250 rpm) at 37°C. After this time, the cultures were added by calcium chloride (200 mM) and incubated for 10 and 30 more minutes before mycelia recovery and RNA extraction. Hybridization experiments were competitive using probes derived from calcium chloride shock cultures using the wild type strain exposed to calcium (10 or 30 minutes) as the reference RNA for every hybridizantion. Normalized signal intensities were used to generate relative hybridization ratios (query/reference). Following normalization, the values for each gene's in-slide replicates were averaged (median variance <0.01), and corresponding flip-dye replicates were averaged to compensate for dye-specific effects. These final, processed data are linked below as supplementary files.
Project description:Response of A549 cells treated with Aspergillus fumigatus wild type culture filtrate (WT-CF) or PrtT protease deficient mutant culture filtrate (PrtT-CF) for 8h Aspergillus fumigatus is the most commonly encountered mold pathogen of humans, predominantly infecting the respiratory system. Colonization and penetration of the lung alveolar epithelium is a key but poorly understood step in the infection process. This study focused on identifying the transcriptional and cell-signaling responses activated in A549 alveolar carcinoma cells incubated in the presence of A. fumigatus wild-type and ΔPrtT protease-deficient germinating conidia and culture filtrates (CF). Microarray analysis of exposed A549 cells identified distinct classes of genes whose expression is altered in the presence of germinating conidia and CF and suggested the involvement of both NFkB and MAPK signaling pathways in mediating the cellular response. Phosphoprotein analysis of A549 cells confirmed that JNK and ERK1/2 are phosphorylated in response to CF treatment in a protease-dependent manner. Inhibition of JNK or ERK1/2 kinase activity substantially decreased CF-induced cell damage, including cell peeling, actin-cytoskeleton damage, and reduction in metabolic activity and necrotic death. These results suggest that inhibition of MAPK-mediated host responses to treatment with A. fumigatus CF decreases cellular damage, a finding with possible clinical implications.
Project description:Response of A549 cells treated with Aspergillus fumigatus wild type germinating conidia (WT_GC) or PrtT protease deficient mutant conidia (PrtT-GC) or inert acrylic 2-4 micron beads (Beads) for 8h Aspergillus fumigatus is the most commonly encountered mold pathogen of humans, predominantly infecting the respiratory system. Colonization and penetration of the lung alveolar epithelium is a key but poorly understood step in the infection process. This study focused on identifying the transcriptional and cell-signaling responses activated in A549 alveolar carcinoma cells incubated in the presence of A. fumigatus wild-type and ΔPrtT protease-deficient germinating conidia and culture filtrates (CF). Microarray analysis of exposed A549 cells identified distinct classes of genes whose expression is altered in the presence of germinating conidia and CF and suggested the involvement of both NFkB and MAPK signaling pathways in mediating the cellular response. Phosphoprotein analysis of A549 cells confirmed that JNK and ERK1/2 are phosphorylated in response to CF treatment in a protease-dependent manner. Inhibition of JNK or ERK1/2 kinase activity substantially decreased CF-induced cell damage, including cell peeling, actin-cytoskeleton damage, and reduction in metabolic activity and necrotic death. These results suggest that inhibition of MAPK-mediated host responses to treatment with A. fumigatus CF decreases cellular damage, a finding with possible clinical implications.
Project description:We report gene expression differences in Aspergillus fumigatus wild type, hrmA mutant, and overexpression under hypoxia and normoxia conditions